THE STEINHEIL TRIAL

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVIII, Issue LVIII, 4 November 1909, Page 7

THE STEINHEIL TRIAL

TODAY'S PARIS SEiNSATION.

PLACES IN COURT BOUGHT.

\ [press association.] (Received; Noveoaber 4, 8.20 ai.ni.) PARIS, November 3.

The) trial of Madam© Stednhedl for thci , inurdeir' of hstf husband and stepmother in May of last' j&r has commieinoed in, Paris.

Two hundred 1 persons waited' in a queuei outside the court all ndghfc and -some sold their places for 500' francs.

Not since Mme. Stein'heil was placed "under arrest for complicity in the murder of her husband and mother has she had to submit to such relentless interrogation as that which she underwent on December 10. For nearly six hours she was on the rack, and dur■ing the whole of that time she was a fprey to emotions so violent as to com.pel hor more -than once to beg for mercy from M. Andre, the magistrate. The first cguestion M. Andre asked was, "Who took your jewels from Paris to Bellevue?" "I took .par* of them, ' ;she answered; then, contradicting her "previous statements, she added, "I left •the remainder =ut the Impasse Ronsin, afterwards said I had pledged them. But that isjaot tr/ue. Tho burglars took -them." '.'But you also stated that the burglars .took your money!"— " Yes." "You know that -is -false. You had no money, and you know the burglars, if •there evbr were any, left several bankmotes about. "Nor did they take your ".husband's gold watch." Madame (visibly disconcerted): There 'must have been money. M. Andre (in decided tones) : You lie whqn you say they took money. .You mow they did nptj. . : .' • The prisoner did not reply, but be«came appreciably paler and moved re&Llessly on her chair. Taking advantage of her embarrassment, M. Andre fixed her with his keen ■eyes, and, drawing, his chair nearer, •said, "Madame, I want you to tell me ■what .took, place at the Impasse Ronsin 'on the night of May 30. I want to know the truth about the > murder of ;your husband and your mother." Mme. Steinheil recoiled for a' moment, tthon, i quickly recovering her self-posses--siori, re-told her previous story of throe . and a red-haired , woman in 'black gaberdines. When she had finished, M. Andre, who had been taking shorthand notes, said: "Madame, if you were tied to your bed, as you describe, every movement of your arms would only have tightened the cords round your neck, and tended to strangle you." The prisoner winced. "I do, not know, I cannot remember !", she said in nervous tones. M. Andre: "You said the burglars had a dark lantern. If the rays had f allon on your face, you would not have "been able to see their faces as distinctly as you say." Again Mme. Steinheil evaded tho magistrate's question. "I do not know, I cannot remember!" she replied. "When did they put cottonwool in your mouth — before 1 or after they had teen ,to Mmo. Japy's room ?" ' The question was important, for Mme. tfStoinheil had already stated that the Pwool came from bandages round her mother's leg, whereas, it had since boon proved that the gag in Mme. Steinheil's mouth was of a different kind of iwool» i 11 1 do not remember," she said. "Perhaps it was before, perhaps after. It is so long ago." . M. Andre continued: "You have said -that the men, were brutal towards yoii in tying you up, but the doctor fonnd ( no traces of violence^" "No," she answered at last, "I cannot explain that, I cannot tell you." "Did you not hear your mother cry out while the men were attacking her?" pursued M., Andre. Tears came* to 'Mme. Steinheil's eyes, and she was seized with a paroxysm of grief .- -~*'No," she sobbed. "All I remember is my -mother calling out helplessly, 'Meg! Meg!' " Here the prisoner gave way to uncontrollable weeping, and fell forward on tho table. When M. Andre endeavored re-

commence, the prisoner burst into a torrent of indignant reproaches. "Do ■ w jfl^think I am a criminal?" she cried. , '"^k the sake of my daughter, do not -^Jl^Hre me any longer." "You have oii^Bpo tell me the truth, and I will insist no further," answered M. Andre, "but you know the narrative you have -told to-day 'is not the only version you have given of the crime. Your story has been different at every interrogation, and you have accused several different people." "What I have said to-day is tho -truth," replied the prisoner.